Phonograph



w. w. TH ORPE. PHONOGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 12. 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I at ented June 28, 1921'. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

WALTER w. THORPE, or PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRIC PHONOGRAPHCORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PHONOGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d J 28 j 92 Application filedNovember 12, 1920. Serial No. 423,569.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER lV. THORPE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Belham, New York, have invented a new and usefulPhonograph, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to talking machines or phonographs, the objectbeing to provide various improvements in the mechanical constructionthereof, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in a preferredform, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, part1 broken away,of my improved phonograp showing the doors in open position;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, looking down;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section; and r Figs. 4 and 5 arerelatively enlarged views of detached details. I

1 represents a base of any suitable design, within which may becontained any suitable form of motor for driving a turntable 2 throughthe mediumof a central arbor 3. Projecting upwardly from the base is asuitable housing which surrounds the turntable, the sound box andassociated parts. This housing may have suitable closures 4.-4:, which,in this instance, are hinged doors, which may be opened, as shown inFig. 1, to afiord access to the interior of the housing to changerecords and needles. The upper part of the housing has a suitablycontracted portion 5, which supports the horn or amplifier. This horn oramplifier is of trumpet form, the same being mounted intermediate itslength, so that the bell-like mouth 6 of said horn will project upwardlyfrom the center of the portion 5, whereas the lower or reduced end 7 ofsaid horn will be hidden within the housing. The portion 7 of the hornis curved laterally, so that its lower end will terminate directly overthe middle portion of the record groove in the disk record 21. The lowerextremity of the horn is provided with an Opening in which is mountedfor rotation a hollow knuckle 8. This knuckle has an opening at the top,which communicates with the horn 7 and has also a side opening in whichis rotatably mounted a socket piece 9. 10 is a slot in the socket piece9, into which projects the end of a pin or screw 11, whereby said socketThe sound box is connected by a curved tube to the horn, the said tubecomprising the two curved sections 12 and 12, which are telescopicallyconnected together, so that said tube sections can be turned relativelyto each other. In the particular form shown the section 12 has a slot14, while the section 12 carries a pin ,or screw 15, which extends intothe slot 14 to limit the rotative movement of said sections. The tubesection 12 has a double bond, as shown. The tube section 12 is connectedto the socket 9. by. what may be termed a modified ball joint 16 and ispivotally held thereto by a pin 17, upon which pin the tube 12 maypartake of a hinge movement to permit the sound box to be lifted up anddown for needle replacement, and to permit it to work on a hill and dalerecord groove whenever desired.

The sound box is connected to the tube section 12 by a slip joint, thesaid section projecting into a socket 18 at the back of the sound box insuch a manner that the sound box may be rotatably adjusted on the tube.19 is a screw for locking the sound box against rotation on the end ofthetube section 12 after it has been properly adjusted thereon. Bypreference the upper part of the socket 9 is cut back slightly, as at20, so as to permit the sound box to be lifted well clear of the recorddisk, whereby records and needles may be more easily changed. Since thevertical axis upon which the knuckle 8 turns is located over the middleportion of the record groove, it is. possible to successfully use acomparatively short tubular connection between the sound box and theknuckle, and yet have sufficient length so that, as the sound boxtravels across the grooved portion of the record, the needle or styluswill properly track therein in all positions of the sound box in itscourse of travel across said grooved portion.

By providing three rotatably adjustable joints between the sound box 13and the knuckle 8, I have found that the sound box ple or extension suchas now commonly used with the ordinary phonograph when it is desired toadapt it to either form of record. In the drawings I have shown thesound box- 13 adjusted properly for playing a record groove of thelateral cut type. V Whenever it is desired to stop playing theinstrument the sound. box may be lifted and then given a quarter turn.This will cause the socket 9 to turn in the knuckle 8 until the pin 17stands in a vertical position, in which position the sound box cannotdrop down, but will be held suspended well above the turntable (seedotted lines, Fig. 1).

The construction of the phonograph is such that it may be employed as alamp standard, the upper part 6 of the horn furnishing the support for alamp shade, as well as for one or more electric lamps. I haveillustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 1 how a lamp shade would appearwith relation to the phonograph.

It will be observed that the construction lends itself admirably to use.as a lamp standard, and when it is to be so used it is preferred toprovide a shade support, which may also be constructed. to carry lamps.For example, in the drawings, 23 is a standard which may be suitablyconnected to the end of the horn and which may be a pipe having branches2323 through which electric wires may be threaded, to lead tolampsockets 24-24 conveniently placed near the edge of the horn. The lampshade indi cated in dotted outline and which may be of any desireddesign may be supported from the upper part of this standard.

It will be seen that the entire mechanism is exceedingly compact, therebeing practically no space wasted. I have not attempted to show a motorfor driving the turntable, since any improved motor may be employed,

but an electric motor is. preferred, since,'

when the instrument is to be .vended in the form of a' lamp, the currentutilized for driving the motor may also be utilized for illuminatingpurposes. By providing only a single bend in the horn, as shown at 7,the dampening of sound generated by the sound box is avoided. The use ofa relatively short tube for connecting the sound box to the horn is alsoof substantial advantage in this respect. Furthermore, in a device madeas compact as the present. one, it is essential to secure some means forproperly supporting the sound box-while playing, which will not requireexcessive room in which to operate, thereby avoiding the necessity ofunduly enlarging the housing.

What I claim is r 1. In a phonograph, a sound reproducing device, anamplifying horn, a connection between said parts comprising 'arotatablehollow knuckle depending from said horn, and a tubularconnection'leading from said reproducer to said knuckle and including ahinged joint to permit the reproducer to be lifted up and down andarotatable'connection between said hinged joint and said knuckle.

2. In a phonograph, a reproducer, an amplifying horn, a tubularconnection between 1 said reproducer and the lower extremity of saidhorn, and including a knuckle depending from the lower end of the horn,and a socket connection at the side of said knuc kle joint, saidtubularconnection projecting from said' socket andbeing connectedthereto by a normally horizontal hinge pm,

said socket being rotatable to permit said pin to be turned into avertical'position to hold the reproducer suspended freely above arecord.

WALTER THORPE;

